Improved coal-breaking machine



'inted Sit-atea para aan.

JOHN Jos-Es, orV oHEsNU'Tf-H'oUsE, srRAfrronD, JAND SAMUEL PARKER BIDDER,

Y JR., or HILLFIELD MrrcHAM, ENGLAND.-

'Letters .Patent No. 94,216, dated .Afa-Lgast 31,1869; patented in England, Nocember- 17, lb.

MOC- IMPROYED COAL-BREAKING MACHINE.

The Schedule referred' to in these v.llietters Patent and making-part of the same.

To all 'whom it lmay concern: l

y to the accompanying drawing, and to the iignres and letters marked thereon; that is to say` Our invention has reference to apparatus whereby 'the breaking-.down ot' coal, slate, stone, and other minerals is etected by hydraulic or screw-power combined with a wedging-action.

We have, found that in breaking down coal and other comparatively soft and yielding minerals, the

action of one single wedge, as heretofore proposed, is

not sufficient to eti'ect the required purpose.

p Now,'ourpresent invention consists in breaking down coal, slate, stone, and other minerals, by means of apparatus wherein two or more wedges are caused to be'driven consecutively, by hydraulic or screwpower, between the surfaces ot' the substances to be broken down.

The arrangement of apparatus for this purpose may hevariously modified, but by preference 'we employ apparatus constructed as follows: A

Two tension-bars or rods, either formed of two separate pieces or ot' one `looped piece, are inserted into the hole cutin the coal or other substance, the cuter ends of which baisarc connected to the cylinder of a hydraulic 'ram or press, or to the training or screwedmnt or boss, carrying a screw-spindle.

Between the tension-bars, at their innermost end, is placed'a clearance-box, and then two metal pressing-blocks, between which is afterwards forced, first,

a single wedge, by the action of the rar-n ot' the hydraulic press or of the screw-spindle. lThe rain' oi; screw-spindleis then withdrawn, and :i second wedge is inserted, either 'between the one-side ofthe tirst wedge and that of one of the pressing-blocks, or the iirst wedge maybe made as a split wedge, and the second wedge be driven between the two parts thereof.

It' requisite, a third wedge may in like manner be driven in, and so on, until a suiicient wedging-action is obtained to 'eect .the breaking down of the mass desired to be removed` The' wedges andpressingblocksmay be formed either so as to cause the pressing-blocks, while expanding, to retain at first a position parallel to each other, by makingthese with inner inclined surfaces, similar to the inclined surfaces of the wedges, or they may be arranged to form from the commencement a i gradually-increasing angle with each other.

The wedges can pass beyond the pressing-.blocks and into the clearance-box, which thus allows them to impart a greater lateral motion to the pressing-blocks n than would be the case were the clca'rancebox not employed; it may, however, in some cases be dispensed f with, when no great lateral motion is required.

The ends ofthe tensionbars are by preference.

made detachable from the hydraulic press, for introducing the wedges consecutively.

lVhen the apparatus is worked by hydraulic power,

We prefer to construct the hydraulic press with the force-pump formed in one therewith, or fixed directly thereto, and it may be constructed either with a closed receptacle, containing` the requisite charge of water v for Yworking it, or the watermay be supplied, through a suction-pipe, from a separate reservoir.

The advantages resulting from the employment of oui` improved apparatus, in addition/to' the absence Vot' the noxious vapors in the'- mine resulting from the use of blasting-powder, are, firstly, a'great saving in the time employed in effecting the breaking down of the coa-l or other mineral, owing to the almost unlimited power which is available by our system, enabling ns to break down at one operation far greater masses than can be effected 'by blasting, and, secondly,the avoidance of the deterioration of the coal or other lmineral resulting-from the use of blasting-powder, in

consequence of the large quantities of small fragments which are produced thereby.

The arrangement of apparatus -we prefer to employ in carrying our invention into practice, is fshown on the accompanying sheet of drawings, in Which- 4Figure 1 shows a sectional elevation ot' the appa-l ratus; .Figure 2 shows a plan of the same; and

Figures 3 to 8 show enlarged details'of the same. lThe apparatus consists, inst, of the vtension-bars A A, which are inserted into the hole cut in the coal or other. material B to be brokenA down, which bars may either be formed of two'separate pieces fixed togcther,'or oi` one single piece bent round into a loop at a.

These bars project beyond the face of the material B,.ivhere they widen ont somewhat, as shown in4 iig. 1, and are formed with Theads at their ends, by means of which they are attached to lugs c c, xed bymeans of a collar, G, to the hydraulic press D, which has a three-pump, H, contained in a closed reservoir of water, I, attachedthereto.

Betweenv the tension-bars A are placed, first, the metal' clearance-box E, and, secondly, the -two metal pressingfblocks F F, of the form shown more clearly in the section. at iig- 3, after whichthe two wedges, or double o1" split-wedge Gr G, show n enlarged at ig. 6, are introduced, so that their point-s enter the small interstice between the pressing-blocks.

AThe parts A, E, F, and G, thus combined, are then introduced into the hole cut in the materialB, and the hydraulic press D is connected to the tension-barsv by the T-heads of the latter being made to catchbehind the lugs c o of the formen I The ram D of the press-(the jont partof which may either be of the, form shown 'n the section at fig. 4 or as at fig. 5) is then moved forward by working the pump-handle L, and is then' caused to force .the double wedge G forward between the two pressing blocks F, thereby forcing these asunder, the clearancebox E allowing the wedge, if requisite,` to b e forced beyond the ends of the pressing-blocks.

After the wedge G has been thus driyen in, the press D ,is detached frolnthe tension-rods `by first forcing back the valve ofthe pump H, by means of the screw. J, and thus allowing the water to ow back into the reservoir I, after which the press is pushed forward slightly, so as to vrelease the tension-hars A from the lugs c.

A second wedge, G', shown enlarged at iig. 7, is then introduced between the tension-barsLand is placed inposition to be driven in between the two parts of the double wedge G, to facilitate which the n edges ofthe back ends of these are rounded oii, as

shown, and the wedge hasa handle., K, iig.A 8, screwed into it,'by means of which it is inserted between such `rounded ends.

After nnscrewing the handle, the press D is again connectedto the tension-bars', and the wedge G is forced in' between the two parts'of G, thereby forcing :the pressing-blocks still-further asunder,'and in like utivcly 'forced' in, as indicated at iig.l 2,- until the and in what manner the saine is to he performed, we wish i-t to be understood vthat we in n o way limit ourselves to the precise arrangement of apparatus, for' panying drawing, as this may be variously modified, without departing from the nat-ure of our invention; but .l

NVhatwe claim, is-l v A l. The construction and employment of apparatus for .breaking down coal, slate, stone, and other minerals, wheieintwo or more wedges are caused to be tween the surfaces of the material to be broken down, in such'nianner that the pressure exerted at one and the saine point'can thereby be increased at will, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

slate,- stone, and other minerals, consisting of two D, and acting in combination with the pressingfblocks F and wedge or wedges G, with or without the clearmanner any number of other wedges may be coliseobreakingdown of the coal or. other material is effected. Having thus described the nature of ourinvention,.

carrying the same into effect, as shown on the accom-v driven consecutively, by hydraulic or screw-power, be-

2. Constructing apparatus for breaking down coal,

tension-bars A, detachable from the hydraulic press ance-box E, substantially as and for the purposes set 

